


set up

by teasockschocolate



Series: Carlwheeler Appreciation Week [6]
Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: F/M, Fluffy, Post canon, bamf anne wheeler, jealousy? what jealousy, title is definitely going to change im just in a rush rn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 05:43:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17074469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teasockschocolate/pseuds/teasockschocolate
Summary: Upon meeting the newest dancer in the cast, Anne realized three things. The first was that this girl was absolutely clueless, the second was that she was infaturated with Phillip, and the third was that Anne was about to have a lot of fun.





	set up

**Author's Note:**

> day 6!! we're almost done! 19th - “Everything you need” | Happily ever after/post-canon

Heather was a fragile, dewey-eyed blond girl fresh out of school. Barnum introduced her to Anne hurridly before rushing away to some other crisis. He’d ask Anne to let Heather shadow her for the day, to “show her the ropes, well not the literal ropes I mean you can show them to her but she can’t go on it she’s not trained in trapeze she’d just here to dance so just go through the day to day basics okay thanks Anne” all in one breath.

Heather craned her neck back to look at the ceiling. “Whoa. High.”

“Uh, yeah.” Anne had no idea what the hell to say to his girl. “So, um, what do you want to see first?”

Heather shrugged. “I dunno.”

“Okay… I’ll just give you a tour I guess.”

Heather shrugged again.

“So, this is the stage. Wings are there where we came in. Back here’s some dressing rooms…”

“Oh my god, at my last job my dressing room was, like, right next to some guys’ and I’d always try to, you know, get them to come over but they, like, barely ever did. It made me so mad.” Heather twirled a piece of her hair absently as she trailed behind Anne.

“Oh, uh…”

Turns out she didn’t need a response because Heather was perfectly content to blabber on about herself. This girl seemed to think she knew everything there was and Anne had absolutely no idea how to talk to her. She gave her the tour laconicly, stiffly pointing to objects and people; Heather filled in any blanks with her own stories. She wasn’t offensive to anyone, thank god, she just couldn’t see past her own reflection. The tour went relatively quickly, as Anne soon learned that if she just kept walking at her own pace, Heather would be fine trotting along behind her.

“So, Annie,” Heather fidgeted with her purse, pulling out a compact to repowder. “What’s the guy situation like here?”

“Well, you’re in a building full of dancers so slim pickins.”

Heather giggled. “Oh my gosh, you’re adorable.”

Anne winced.

“But c’mon. Is there anyone you think would be cute for me?”

“Um,”

“Oh my god, hold that thought Annie.” Heather grabbed Anne’s elbow, ignoring her flinch, and pulling her to the side. “Look over there at that cutie.” Anne started to turn and Heather yelped “Don’t be obvious!”

Following Heather’s head tilts, Anne saw Phillip leaning against the percenium arch talking to Barnum.

“Barnum?” She teased.

Heather rolled her eyes. “Nooo, the guy with him! Who is that? Is that his son?”

“No,” Anne laughed. “That’s Phillip. He’s a co-owner with Barnum.”

“Is he single?”

Anne’s lip quirked. “Don’t think so.”

“Oh, that doesn’t matter. Once I meet him he’ll move on real fast. Oh, Anne, will you introduce us? Please Annieee,” Heather stuck out her bottom lip in what she seemed to think was a cute pout.

She smirked. “You know what? It might be better if you went up yourself. I’ll distract Barnum.” There was a second when Anne thought maybe she should stop Heather, maybe not purposelly embarrass her. Then she remembered the three minute long schpeel Heather had gone on about how hand sanatizer only covers germs it doesn't prevent them and how she would need a private sink and soap dispenser to ensure her precious body not get sick, and Anne suddenly found herself losing some guilt.

“Oh my gosh you are the best, thank you so so much!” Heather shrieked, throwing her hair over her shoulder and looking to Anne for reassurance she looked alright. Anne nodded, giving her a thumbs up.

“Hey, Barnum! Can I talk to you for a second?”

Barnum excused himself and headed over to her, leaving Phillip alone.

“Wish me luck.” Heather whispered.

“Oh, do you need that?”

Heather snorted. “True.”

Anne was being awful. She knew that. But it was just so much fun.

“What’s up?” Barnum came to a stop in front of her.

“Okay, so Heather is ridiculous.”

“Yeah, she seemed a little full of herself.” Barnum sighed. “What should I—”

“Shh,” Anne bit her lip to keep herself from laughing. “But, she is currently heading over to hit on Phillip so let’s just watch the real show.”

“What?” Barnum craned his neck to look back. “And you’re okay with that?”

Anne raised an eyebrow. “That boy is clueless as a brick. I’m sorry we don’t have snacks.”

Anne couldn’t hear what Heather was saying to Phillip. She could just see Heather’s hands moving rapidly in front of her and Phillip’s wide eyed confusion.

“This is like a car wreck.” Barnum muttered beside her.

“Can’t look away.” Anne agreed, sniggering. She was definitely being a horrible person.

“Should we save him?”

“Give him a minute.”

“Think he knows what’s happening?”

“No way.” Just then Heather’s hand reached out and trailed down Phillip’s chest. “Oh yeah now he does.”

“Oh this is fun.”

“He’s looking over here. He sees us looking. Oh, I think he figured it out.” Barnum hissed.

“Abort, abort,” Anne giggled, shoving past Barnum. She walked as quickly as she could trying (and failing) to be nonchalant. She ducked into the staircase, taking the steps two at a time to the lighting grid. She plopped on the ground, swinging her legs over the rafters to dangle sixty feet above the theater. She pulled out her phone, absently scrolling through her Twitter feed, waiting for him.

It didn’t take him too long to find her. She shook with laughter the second he stepped onto the platform.

“Well, I’m glad that you had fun.”

“I’m sorry!” She got out through laughs, pulling her legs into a criss cross and scooting away from the edge (he didn’t like to get that close to it).

“Yeah, you seem like it.” His teasing grin betrayed his pissed tone.

“You’re right, I’m not.”

He stuck out his tongue at her to which she reciprocated.

“Well,” He sat down next to her. “Jokes on you. I came up here to dump you.”

“Aww, man.”

“I mean how could I resist? Did you know that she has a tattoo of The Rock ‘somewhere on her leg that I could find?’ I mean, I can’t turn that down.”

“Well,” Anne sighed. “I can’t say I’m not disappointed. But I do understand.”

“We had a good run.”

“We’re not very nice people.” She giggled.

“Correction: you are not very nice. I am a perfect gentleman and would never sicc a strange man to flirt with you.”

“Aw, man.” Anne smirked. “There goes that plan.”

“I can’t be too careful. Wouldn’t want to lose you. You on the other hand…”

“I knew you loved me too much.” Anne tipped forward and kissed the corner of his mouth. “And, for the record, I love you too much too.”

Phillip grinned, rising to his feet and offering a hand to pull her up too. “I guess I love you,” He teased, slinging his arm around her.

“Even though I don’t have a celebrity tattoo?”

“Hey, nobody’s perfect.”


End file.
